How to Measure and Custom Cut Your AmeriGlide Rave 2 Rail Like a Professional
How to Measure and Custom Cut Your AmeriGlide Rave 2 Rail Like a Professional
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The AmeriGlide Rave 2 is a fantastic straight stairlift system, but its biggest DIY hurdle is the heavy-duty aluminum rail track assembly. The manufacturer ships the rail in stock lengths, usually two pieces that need to splice together. This means it won't fit your exact staircase right away.
To ensure a smooth, safe ride that doesn't slam into your drywall or leave a dangerous gap at the top landing, you need to measure your stair treads with precision and make a clean, square cut through heavy architectural-grade metal.
Before you even touch a saw, you must accurately calculate the overall rail length. Measure from the nose of the top landing step straight down diagonally to the floor at the bottom of the steps. Add roughly 6 to 12 inches for overtravel spacing so the chair can safely park at both terminals.
Tech Instal Tip
Tech Instal Tip
Use the plastic end cap that comes with the rails to elevate the piece that you are cutting. Add exactly 8 inches to the total length (using a measuring tape from bottom landing to tip of top stair + 8 inches) This places the footrest exactly flush with the top stair for ease of getting off stairlift at the top.
“Measure twice, cut once.” Take the total length of the two shipped rails (186 inches), subtract your stair length plus 8 inches, and the result is the cut length for your second rail.
Making the Precision Cut
Making the Precision Cut
When it’s time to cut, clamp the track down securely to a sawhorse layout. Use a high-tooth-count metal cutting blade—preferably a specialized aluminum blade on a circular saw or a high-quality bimetal blade on a portable deep-cut bandsaw.
Go slow—forcing the blade through thick structural aluminum can lead to thermal warping and jagged burrs that damage the lift’s plastic roller guides over time. Finish by using a deburring tool or a metal file to smooth every single cut edge.
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